Business Planning

Learn what you need to know about business planning with our guidance articles.

Effective business planning is crucial for guiding your start-up towards achieving its long-term goals and ensuring sustainable growth.

Planning for the future of your business

Explore how to expand your start-up's reach, revenue, and market share to achieve long-term success and increased profitability with our handy guides.

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How to write a business plan

A robust business plan is crucial to the success of your business. Here’s our guide to writing the best business plan for your start up.

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SWOT analysis: definition and examples

successful businesses use strategic planning to grow revenue, reach new customers and develop new products and services.

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Business forecasting – a guide for start-ups

Periods of high inflation can pose a challenge for start-up businesses. Learn how to create a business forecast with our guide.

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Setting business aims and objectives

Setting business aims and objectives can help grow your business. Learn how to use PESTEL and SWOT tools to create your business objectives.

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How to create an effective business budget

Setting a business budget is essential when running a small business - learn how to manage your start-up's finances effectively.

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How to calculate market size

Learn how many customers your start up business is likely to reach by calculating market size, and the total addressable market.

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The importance of innovation for small businesses

How can your start-up embrace the power of innovation – and what exactly does being innovative mean on a practical level for small businesses?

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How to grow your start-up

Read our guidance for tips to help get your business on the path to growth.

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8 ways to build a scalable start-up

A scalable business increases profits but also lowers costs. It's about delivering more for less. Learn 8 ways to scale your own business.

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Eight of the biggest challenges preventing small business growth

Are you facing obstacles that are preventing your start-up from growing? Read our guide to overcoming the common challenges faced by new business owners.

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The do's and don'ts of successfully scaling your start-up

It's important to know when it’s the right time to start scaling your start-up, and how to do it successfully.

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10 ways collaboration can help grow your business

Help your business scale to the next stage by collaborating with other entrepreneurs. Read our guide to get the best from collaboration.

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How to outsource expertise and grow your business

Bring expertise into your start-up with our guide to outsourcing and how it works. Cut costs and grow your business the smart way.

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Understanding business growth – strategies for start-ups

Looking to grow your start-up? Learn about business growth strategies and ideas for scaling your new business.

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What makes a business successful?

Read why most successful businesses share the same traits and read practical tips on how you can give your own business the best possible chance of success.

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Making your start-up resilient

Learn how to boost the resilience of your business with our guides.

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10 tips to recession-proof your business

We share recession-proof tips for your business, from finances, and operations, to marketing and supply chain/inventory.

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What rising interest rates mean for start-ups

In this guide, we outline what high interest rates mean for start-ups and what founders can do to help protect their businesses.

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Signs your business could be growing too fast

If your start-up scales too rapidly it can result in major problems. Learn how to recognise the signs of growing too fast and what to do about it.

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Conducting market research

Conducting thorough market research is essential for start-ups to understand their target audience, identify market opportunities, and make informed decisions.

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What is market research?

Find out what your customers really want with our guide to how Market research can save you from making costly mistakes when launching your new business.

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Market research techniques

Whether you are launching your business or are already trading, knowing your place within the market is essential for business development.

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Competitor research guide for start ups

Unless you're selling a unique product or service, it’ll be competing with others. Researching competitors provides insights you can learn from.

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How to spot a gap in the market

Identifying a gap in the market can be a springboard to start-up success. Read our guide on how to recognise where your new business will fit into the current marketplace.

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Advantages of primary and secondary market research

Get the best from your market research. Learn what is secondary research and know the advantages of primary research and advantages of secondary research techniques.

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